Ice-cutting machine.



No. 758,963. PATENTED MAY 3,1904.

' J1 H. GIBSON. 1 ICE CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 15, 1903. v 10 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented. May 3, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT O F CE.

, alZ whom/ it may concern.-

JOHN ciBsom-or GRAFTON, PENNSYLVANIA,ASSIGNOR oFoNE-HALF To SAMUEL'HARIZEIJL, OF GRAFTON, PENNSYLVANIA;

.lozcui'rmer MACHINE:

SPECIFICATION forminjg m t: Letters 1 am No. 758,963, data May a,19o4.--

Applicatien filed July 15,1903; Serial No.165,566. (No mod'e1J j Be itknown that'I, J OHN H.G113so a citizen of the United States of America,residing at Grafton, .in' the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inIce-Cutting Machines, of which the following is a spec'ifi-;

. cation, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain I new and useful improvements inice-cutting machines,

- and more particularly to that-class of machines" which are adapted tobe placed on the river? or pond from which the ice is to be cut, meansbeing provided .upon the machine whereby as the ice is cut motion isimparted to the ma- .chine wherebyithe same can readilyj-travel over theice. 1 1 L Another object of my'invention is to provide a machinewhichcan be'adjusted, whereby different thicknesses. of ice may be cut, andvmeans is provided upon the machine for cutting a plurality of pieces ofice and insuring' an even widthof .cut throughout the length of travelof the machine.

Briefly described, my inventionconsists in,

providing a rectangular framework mounted 'upon' runners, and in saidframework I pro vide a similar rectangular frame which is adjustedtherein bymeans of a rack and pinion, and carried by said framework arespiked 'rollers which are adapted to. engage the ice, "also a pluralityoftoothed cutters or saws'which are adapted to cut the ice-,means beingcon structed within the rectangular framework-to .impart motion. to eachof the. spiked rollers and the cutters simultaneously. a

to be hereinafter more fullydescribed, and

. specifically pointed out in the claims.

In describing the inventionin detail refer-' ence is had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and whereinlike numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the severalviews, in which 3 is a detail view of'one of the axles. Fig. 4'

' Howeveriit is thepurpose of the present invention to construct amachine which may be .To put my invention into era-aide, I providethefrontend f of] the ;machinethe braces are standards 4 4:,and upon theouter end bf-I h I on the lower ends of the st ndards raid Figure i'is aperspective viewof the ma; chine. Fig. 2is atop plan View thereof. Fig.

is a similar view of another ofthe axles. Fig. 5 is" a detached detailperspective view of one of theracks employed for raising and loweringthe'machin e. Fig. 6 'is ;a side elevation of-one of the castersemployed" on the front standards oruprights. Fig; 7 is'an end view ofone of therunners. Fig.8 is aside eleva-l I tion ofth'e'same, and Fig. 9is a detail perspective View of one of the; cutters or saws. In theaccompanyingillustration ofmy invention Ihave shown the 'sameas adaptedto beoperate'dby hand that is, to operate both the cutters or saws andpropel the machine forwardly throughthemedi'uin of hand-power.

operated bysteain-en'gine, gasolene-engine, or other-suitable power, andI therefore do not.

wishto limit myself in thisapplication'to the drivingmcans shown, as incaseswherc a I 7 considerable"quantity of ice is to be cut I' will useasuitable engine for'a motive power] for propelling the'machine andforoperating the saws.

a rectangular frame embodying'the' side braces 2 T2 and end braces. 3,1' which are secured to thestandards 4 at the rear end of. th chinebymeans ofjtheangle-iro ns 5,,a

' 8o similarlysecured to standards 45. stand? ards 4 carry the'U- shapedllidesi,6,'which receive the standards '7 [71, racks '8' upon theirsides," th racks b'eing shaped to mesh-with the pinions 9, amal am uponthe shaft 10, said shafts being secured in the bearings 11upon'theinner'side"of' th shafts 10 are secured the cranks 12. Y Securare the runners, as illustrated in Fig. 8'of theff drawings, saidrunners consisting 0 t plate] 14, whichis secured to the' standards 7,and formed centrally of saidjplateand at rightf carry the t,

angles-thereto is the runner-blade 15. Upon the ends of the standards 7I provide the rollers 16, which are secured to the standards by anysuitable means, these rollers being provided for the purpose offacilitating the turning of the machine when the end of the cut isreached and it'is desired to travel in the opposite direction.

" braces 2.

Upon the side braces 2", which are similar to braces 2, I mount theoperating-shaft 19, this shaft being journaled in the bearings 20 uponthe braces 2 and upon the outer ends of this shaft I provide the cranks21, whereby the same may be rotated in any desired direction. Upon thisshaft 19 I provide a sprocket-wheel 22, around which passes chain 23,this chain engaging a sprocketwheel 24, carried on the shaft 25,journaled 'in the bearings 26, carried by the side braces 2*, which aresimilar to the side braces 2 and '2", respectively. On the shaft 25 Imount the sprocket-wheel '29, over which passes the sprocket-chain 30,which meshes over a sprocket-Wheel 31, mounted upon a shaft 32,journaled in boxings carried by the braces 33, these braces beingsecured'to and supported-by the standards 4 at the rear end of themachine. Upon the two ends of the shaft 32 and'intermediate of its'endsI mount the'eutters or saws 34, which are adapted to engage and cut theice when the shaft 19'is rotated by the cranks 21, the motion of this'shaftbeing imparted to these cutters or saws through the'mechanism justdescribed. Also mounted upon shaft 19 are the sprocketwheels'3536 37,these wheels being of different size andsplined on the shaft and movablelengthwise thereon, so that any one of these threewheels may be broughtinto alinement with any one of the sprocket-whee1s 35, 36, and"37,'theobject of which is to obtain a variance of the speed, as desired. Overthe wheel 37 passes the sprocket-chain 37, said chain passing around thesprocket-wheel 38,

\ This chain also passes overa sprocket-wheel 44,

mounted upon the shaft 45, which is journaled in the standards 4, andupon this shaft 45 I provide the toothed or spiked propellingrollers 48,which are adapted to engage the ice and force the machine in either oneor the other direction.

I provide the different-sized sprocket-wheels, whereby the chain may belengthened or shortened and a higher or lower speed imparted to themechanism,as is desired.

To hold the frame in its adjusted position, I provide the pawls 49,carried by the standards of the frame, these pawls adapted to engage thepinions 9 and prevent the same from rotating when once placed in adesired position, whereby the frame may be held in a locked position inengagement with the racks 8 of the standards 4.

Upon the side braces 2 I provide agage 50, which is held in the hingedbearings 51 upon the side braces 2, the stem of this gage being providedwith apertures 53, through which a pin may be passed into the side bracefor securing the gage in the desired position. Upon the outer end of thestem of the gage 3 I provide the shoe 54, which is adapted to engage inthe prior cut made by the saw in the ice. When the end of the cut isreached when traveling in one direction, the gage is removed andreversed, so the shoe will engage during the return travel of themachine in the cut that was made by the outside saw. The bearings 51 aremade hinged, whereby one of the same may be thrown back, and thus permitthe elevating of the shoe end of the gage and the suspending of the sameby the chain 52 and staple or eye 52, whereby the shoe 54 is heldelevated above the ice when desired.

It will readily be seen that the framework carrying the cutters or sawsand the spiked propeller-rollers may be adjusted to any desiredposition, and that any desired speed may be imparted to the machine bythe operator.

It is obvious that cutters or saws of any desired form may be employedand other slight changes may be made without departing from the generalspirit of my invention.

Having fullydescribed my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an ice-cutting machine, the combination of a frame composed ofvertical main standards and connecting side braces, supplementarystandards slidably mounted on said main standards, rack-bars carried onsaid supplementary standards, a shaft journaled on said main standards,and pinions mounted on said shaft and engaging said rack-bars.

2. In an ice-cutting machine, a mechanismsupportingv frame, standardsoperatively connected with said frame, racks carried by said standards,pinions carried by said frame and meshing with said racks, means formanually rotating said pinions, and means for preventing the rotation ofsaid pinions.

3. In an ice-cutting machine, the combination of a mechanism-supportingframe composed of main front and rear standards and connecting-braces,the front standards having shoes on their lower ends, supplementary rearstandards slidably mounted on the main rear standards, shoes on thelower ends of said 1 In testimony WhereofIaflixmy signatureinsupplementary rear standards, supplementary the presence of twowitnesses. front standards slidably mounted on the main front standards,wheels on said supplementary V 5 front standards 1 and means forraisingand Witnesses:

lowering the supplementary standards at each A. M. WILSON, end of theframe.

JOHN GIBSON.

E. E. POTTER.

